Key-locking device



Dec. 1924- 1,519,681

G. O. HALE KEY LOCKING DEVICE Filed Oct. 12, 1922 i atented Dec. iii,

isiaesi GUY O. HALE, 0F MINNEAPOLES, MINNESOTA.

KEY-LGCKING DEVICE.

Application filed flctober 12, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUY O. HALE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Key-Locking Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in key-locking devices and has for its object to provide an extremely simple and highly efiicient safety device which may be very easily and quickly applied to the spindle of a door knob and inserted through the eye of a key to prevent the same from being turned from without to release the lock or to release said device and thereafter permit the key to be turned.

To the above end, the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a door having a door knob, and a key to which the key-locking device is applied;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the key-locking device with some parts shown in different positions by means of broken lines; and

Fig. 3 is a detail view with some parts sectioned on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

The numeral 4 indicates a door having a door knob 5, an escutcheon 6, and a key 7, which parts have been. illustrated simply for the purpose of showing the invention applied in working position.

The key-locking device includes a yoker like member 8 formed from a single piece of relatively heavy wire and having a short leg 9 and a long leg 10. These legs 9 and 10 are separably connected by a hook 11 loosely attached to the free end of the short leg 9 by interlocking eyes 12 and having detachable interlocking engagement with the Serial No. 594,010.

long leg 10 with freedom for longitudinal movement thereon. The yoke-like member 8 is adapted to straddle the shank of the door knob 5 with its long leg 10 extending through the eye of the key 7 and thereafter connected to the short leg 9 by the hook 11.

As is well known, burglars can very easily turn the key of an ordinary lock from the outside and thereby release the lock and permit the door to be opened. By the use of my safety device, the key cannot be turned sufficiently to release the lock, and if it is turned to spring the long leg 10, the hook 11 cannot be released therefrom for the reason that said hook will simply slide downward on the long leg 10 and remain interlocked therewith, as indicated by broken lines in Fig. 2.

In securing a key by the safely device, it is important to apply the same as shown in Fig. 1, wherein the hook 11 can only be released from the long leg 10 by springing the legs 9 and 10 toward each other and moving the hook 11 away to the door t. It will thus be seen that the hook 11 cannot be released from the long leg 10 by manipulating the key in the lock to move the long leg 10 out of the hook 1 1, for the reason that paid hook will simply swing with said long When the device is not used for securing a key, the same may be suspended by its hook 11 from a nail, a coat hook, or the suspending hook of a coat hanger and used for holding clothing or any other article, or it may be used as a bill hook.

What I claim is:

A key locking device comprising a yokelike member having a long leg and a short leg and adapted to straddle the shank of a door knob, said long leg being adapted to be inserted through the eye of a key, and a hook flexibly connected to the short leg by interlocking eyes and having detachably interlocking engagement with said long leg below the key with freedom for longitudinal sliding movement thereon.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

GUY O. HALE. 

